Planet ISKCON

Australia’s national news agency, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) has reported vandalism at the Brisbane Hare Krishna temple.  Visiting in the night, vandals spray painted walls and smashed a window. ISKCON News spoke to temple president, Jaya Vijaya Dasa, who said he doesn’t think the devotees are being targeted.

Devotees understand the importance of developing a deep relationship with Srila Prabhupada’s books. In modern life this often proves difficult. Individuals can therefore benefit from a guided approach which allows many topics to be explored, discussed and debated. Svayam Jyoti das, one of the senior students remarked: “My guru, His Holiness Mahavisnu Goswami, always wanted me to study the Bhagavatam properly and I am grateful to the temple for giving me this in-depth knowledge.” Course coordinator Navadvip Chandra das also teaches Bhakti Vaibhava at ISKCON London. After studying in Sridhama Mayapur, he was encouraged to offer the Bhakti Vaibhava course at Bhaktivedanta Manor in 2013: “The course is run in collaboration with Mayapur Institute and students are encouraged to complete some modules in Mayapur if they wish. Those who complete the assessments are awarded ISKCON’s Bhakti Vaibhava degree. It has been a special period for me, and I could not have wished for a better group of students.” Continue reading "UK’s First Bhakti Vaibhava Course
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Ratha Yatra Palanga 2017 (Album with photos)
Palanga is a resort town on Lithuania’s Baltic coast.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/oQXML9

Upcoming Community Survey.
Members of New Raman Reti Community.
Starting Tuesday, August 1, 2017, you will be invited to complete a survey designed to help us understand the needs and desires of the members of New Raman Reti. A team of local devotees created this survey in collaboration with our Temple Board. The survey will begin an ongoing conversation with the aim of strengthening relationships, promoting communication and much more. Survey results will be presented and discussed on November 5, 2017, during the first of three Community Development Conferences. During the conferences, devotees will have the opportunity to engage in community building exercises and in discussions that, we hope, will empower us to implement new initiatives and effectively address the needs of our growing community.

It’s vital that each of us complete the survey so that everyone’s voice be heard, and every member contributes to the development of our shared vision. We look forward to serving you. For more information on this initiative, see our developing website www.NRRCommunity.com

Janmastami, the most auspicious appearance day of the original Supreme Personality of Godhead Lord Sri Krishna is almost upon us. This particular appearance of Lord Krishna, which takes place once in a day of Lord Brahma, is of very special importance because it is followed by the appearance of His combined avatar form of Radha and Krishna, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Continue reading "Special Janmastami TOVP Seva Appeal
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Podcast

The post Why does the Gita in chapter sixteen describe divine qualities in three full verses and demoniac qualities in just one verse? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Podcast

The post How is simplicity as an austerity of the body in Gita 17.14 different from simplicity as an austerity of the mind in Gita 17.16? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

• What exactly is the heart? 
• Why is Krishna blue?
• Why does corruption exist in religious organisations – can it be minimized?
• Why was ashtanga yoga recommended in Satya-yuga?
• How can we cope with enduring sadness?
• Is love for our parents, brothers, sisters Maya – does such love have no meaning or value?
• What exactly is humility – how do we develop it in bhakti?
• How can I protect my bhakti from bad association in college?
• What causes inferiority complex?
• Are the sense and mind different – which of them drives us?
• Why is the same story told differently in different scriptures?
• When Ajamila chanted with the wrong conception, why did Vishnutas come?
• Are Gita and Bhagavatam meant for less intelligent people because they are parts of smriti?

The post Transcriptions uploaded on 26-12-2016 appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, May 2017, UK Retreat, Wales, Srimad Bhagavatam 11.7.59)

Srila Prabhupada said that the highest placed vaisnava in West Bengal was Tarun Kanti Ghosh. He was elected as a member of parliament and was very popular. Tarun Kanti Ghosh owned several newspapers and was a very influential personality. He became elected in parliament by doing harinama sankirtan in all the villages, all over Bengal.

So in my days in Mayapur, I became acquainted with Tarun Kanti Ghosh. He had a house and in the garden, there was a nice temple with large Gaura-Nitai deities. He was worshipping them himself although he also had a brahmana who was assisting.

In those days, travel by planes was still not common for internal flights, so internal travel was by train. Members of parliament would have free travel on the Rajdhani Express, in two-tier AC. We would also travel on the two-tier AC but would have to pay for it. Anyway, one day we were on the train when we heard that Tarun Kanti Ghosh was also on the train. We heard that he had boarded the train that night and since we knew him, we thought, “Oh, we will go see him and take him prasadam.”

The next morning at around six we went to see him. He had a big wooden box which was open and in there were pictures of all his deities, like a full altar. It was a full puja box and everything was in there and he was doing his puja. He said to us, “What are you doing here? Aren’t you supposed to chant your rounds? Why are you disturbing a man and his puja?” He was chastising us and continued his puja. He was not going to talk to us.

So, that was very nice to see. Prabhupada said he was the highest placed vaisnava in West Bengal and you could see that he was. He was not thinking like, “You know, I am a big government officer. I did harinama to get elected and I do my puja so that everyone can see that I am a great vaisnava.” No, he also did it for himself on the train because he had taste; he saw himself as the servant of Krsna.

He was not like, “Oh, now I am going on the train, what can I do? The brahmana will do it.” No, he was still in the mood, “I am the servant. I cannot do it in the temple now. The brahmana is doing it in the temple but I will still serve, myself, here in the train with my puja box.”

It was so nice to see that spirit. His solution was also very practical because his deities were big so he could not really put them into suitcases and carry Gaura-Nitai with him. He just worshipped pictures of the deity. But it is the same thing. It is said that the deity can be made either of wood or metal or clay or also in picture form, so a picture of the deity is as good as the deity. So what he did was bonafide actually according to scripture. We saw his eagerness to continue worshipping his deity.

Our "Paramahamster" comic strip follows an enthusiastic devotee as he navigates a 9 - 5 work day in the corporate world. Please check back weekly for new episodes!

In recent decades we witness increasing public awareness about the profoundly damaging effects of accellerating human production, consumption, and mobility on ecosystems of the world; and this awareness is accompanied by a deepening sense of urgency that “something” must be done to stop the current trends of environmental destruction. Environmental activism is now a mainstream activity for all sorts of individuals and groups, not least persons and organizations whose motivations may be termed “religious.” Religious traditions are being seen as potential resources of wisdom, providing both theological vision and spiritual conviction for fostering responsible and reformative attitudes and action to favor the environment. In view of this journal’s present theme, Vaishnavism and the Environment, here I will explore representations of “nature” within the Bhāgavata Purāṇa (BhP, or Bhāgavata)—a text revered as canonical for followers of several Vaiṣṇava traditions—with the aim of considering how this text might serve as a resource not only for Vaiṣṇavas, but also for other seekers and implementers of deep ecological thought and practice. Continue reading "Nature Deadly and Nature Divine: The Bhagavata Purana’s Lessons on Human Relationships to the Environment
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Srutidharma das and Parasuram das had a meeting with Radhapriye ji of Barsna who is part of the team heading the Save Yamuna Campaign. The Save yamuna campaign is trying to bring Yamuna back to Vrindavan, which is the most important river for all worshippers of Krishna. Did you know that Yamuna River disappears after Hathani Kund Barrage in Haryana? 97% water of Yamuna river is sucked in by canals just before Hathani Kund barrage. Rest evaporates after running few kilometers. Around 150 kilometers of Yamuna bed is completely empty. Continue reading "Save Yamuna Campaign
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https://youtu.be/k2RrJI9LXSk

https://youtu.be/51Go1PaRKVw

The annual Open Day had always been one of the most exciting events for newcomers to Bhaktivedanta Manor. In the past, there had been Strawberry Open days, Cow athletics Open days and Theatre Open days. The legacy continued, and for at least four years now, the Manor had been organising the Family Fun Open day. “I come to this one every year” said Helen “It’s a fun day for the whole family and my kids look forward to it every single time” as she then walked off to ‘try on a sari’. The two kids ran off to have a go on the bouncy castle. The Open Day featured a variety of activities for everyone. There was a food stall selling many varieties of food, cooked with love and devotion. There was a Henna tent for ladies to try out various designs made with the soothing traditional herbs. There was also a face-painting tent and a shop selling fresh organic vegetables. Curious visitors could also find out more about Palmistry. Guests also received an oxcart ride to the farm where they were told about the importance of cows and oxen and how they should be protected. Continue reading "Family Fun Open Day in the Manor
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Lord Krishna says in the Bhagavad-gita – “Among the birds, I am Garuda.” Garuda carries Lord Vishnu on his back always and therefore he is considered as the transcendental prince of all carriers. In the Vedic literature, it is stated that the two wings of the transcendental bird Garuda, are two divisions of the Sama Veda known as brihat and rathantara. When Garuda flaps his wings, one can hear the chanting of the hymns from Sama Veda. Garuda is engaged in eternal service to Lord Vishnu in Vaikuntha. Every temple of Lord Vishnu has a Deity of Sri Garuda sitting in front of the Lord with folded hands. Garuda is also known by the names: Pakshiraja, Vainateya, Suparna, Garuthman, Periya Tiruvadi, Vinatasuta, Vishnuvahana, Nagantaka and Kashyapeya.

Manor devotee brings ISKCON to Ethiopia!
Mahaprasad das has translated a number of Srila Prabhupada’s books from English to Amharic, the official working language of Ethiopia. 10,000 copies of Introduction to Bhagavad Gita and On the Way to Krishna are currently in the UK and will soon be shipped to Ethiopia. Easy Journey to Other Planets, The Teachings of Prahlad Maharaj and Sri Isopanisad will follow. This is a major accomplishment because at present none of Srila Prabhupada’s books are available in Amharic and ISKCON has no presence in that country. “This is a huge breakthrough,” explained Mahaprasad das, “Ethiopia is a completely new pasture and it has the second highest populations in Africa. I give credit to Bhaktivedanta Manor for that, because that is where I was trained in outreach.” Mahaprasad was born in Ethiopia and after joining ISKCON in Kenya, for 21 years he was part of the community of Bhaktivedanta Manor. He is now based in the UK and working in the Middle East within the field of I.T Governance.

UK Prime Minister’s Faith Advisor Jonathan Hellewell LVO, Special Adviser on Faith to the Prime Minister, made a special visit to the ISKCON-London Temple, where he met Jai Nitai das and Srutidharma das. Mr. Hellewell has been appointed to Downing Street to help the build connections among community groups across the country, understanding the needs of faiths across the UK.

NOHO TV film company were hosted at Bhaktivedanta Manor.
NOHO TV film company were hosted at Bhaktivedanta Manor whilst they filmed scenes for the spoof “The Windsors” in Letchmore Heath village. Famous comedian and actor Harry Enfield plays Prince Charles in the series. “There were quite a few vegetarians and vegans amongst the group” explained Radha Mohan das who took members of the cast and crew on a tour of the Manor, “Harry Enfield had some intelligent questions, and reminisced on the times he had spent time with George Harrison”.

Perhaps the most significant program during my Western trip was a seminar at Intel, in Phoenix, Arizona, on the topic “MIND the MIND.” It was attended by around 25-30 Intel employees, who were engrossed in the subject throughout the whole talk.

I developed my talk using two acronyms MIND.

How we defeat ourselves:

Our mind
1. Magnifies problems
2. Imagines pleasures
3. Neglects opportunities
4. Denies reality

How can we stop defeating ourselves:
1. Meditate
2. Illuminate your inner world
3. Navigate your inner pitfalls
4. Do it with others

The feedback after the talk was that the content was simple and clear – the double acronym structure helped them understand readily where I was in the overall context of the talk.

During the QA session, a South American Intel employee asked whether we can ever come to a stage when the voice of wisdom within us becomes stronger than the voice of impulse. I answered that it is possible by studying wisdom-literature, adopting spiritual practices and especially by seeking the right social circle. After the program, she approached me and said that she came from a conservative family and had felt intense peer pressure to conform with the materialistic US culture. But on understanding the spiritual worldview and specifically the strategies for strengthening the conscience in the class, she felt inspired to stick to her higher values.

The program was organized by Sapna Kant (Shriji Priya Devi Dasi), who works in Intel, and her husband Eshant Garg (Ishvara Gauranga Das ). They coordinate my online outreach. Being the first program of its kind at Intel, Phoenix, they had to expertly get the program sanctioned through the Intel hierarchy. MNCs such as these are particularly cautious to not promoting anything sectarian.

The Intel India coordinator had been apprehensive about having a Hindu monk speak in their company. But he was relieved and pleased to see the positive feedback, especially by the non-Indians attending the program. And he said that the next time when I come to the US, they could organize a two- or three-part series.
Due to security and privacy considerations, Intel didn’t allow us to video record or even photograph the program, though they themselves clicked some photos and shared them with us.

I have spoken at several MNCs in the past, but Intel was the biggest MNC where I spoke. My small realization is that ultimately a similar heart beats in all people, whichever country they may be from and whichever company they may be working for. They all face the same eminently human issues that we all face – dealing with the mind’s stresses, and seeking greater satisfaction and better contribution. And for addressing those universal issues, the Bhagavad-gita’s timeless wisdom stands ready to empower everyone.

The post Minding the Intel Mind appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Sri Raghunandana Thakura made his appearance within this world in Sri Khanda.  In his home he became acquainted with the worship of Sri Gopinatha from an early age.

One day his father, Mukunda Dasa, who was a doctor, had to go away on medical business.  He called Raghunandana to his side.  He told Raghunandana to see to it that their deity was served with great care and attention. He told him to be sure and feed the deity.

At the appointed hour, taking the order of his father on his head, Raghunandana went to peform the service.  He took the offering of food into the deity.  Raghunandana was just a little boy. He told the deity: “Eat! Eat!”  When he saw that the offering appeared untouched, he began to cry.

Not being able to resist the child’s intense devotion, Krishna ate everything on the plate, leaving no remnants.

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 24 August 2012, Amsterdam, Netherlands, Srimad Bhagavatam 4.29.56)

Intellectual philosophers are trying to figure out the absolute truth but by the dint of intelligence, one cannot even touch the tip of the toe of the Lord since transcendental knowledge comes only through the process of devotional service when Krsna is pleased! So, this is our aim!

Therefore, we are not interested in the ritualistic activities that bring blessings into our lives. We are not interested in mystic powers or in building up our own strength! One can sit naked in the Himalayas in winter or one can walk on water and do so many other amazing things. We are not interested in all of that because all these powers are of the body and mind, and are temporary and will be destroyed at the time of death. So what is the use of it then? To get so powerful and then die? Why waste time to become a yogi?

In the same way, we do not aspire to be big speculative philosophers, who are trying to figure out the truth because we understand that one cannot know the truth other than by the mercy of Krsna through service!

Mental health problems have become mainstream.

Amala Kirtan Das.

Nathdvara is a place in Rajasthan, Nathdvara 2.0 is a state of mind. It is a combination of old and new. It embraces tradition while being unapologetically progressive. It is simultaneously hip hop and bhajan. It is the future. Music and video by Gaura Karuna Klein. Find out more at https://www.gaurakaruna.com

Mahaprasad das has translated a number of Srila Prabhupada’s books from English to Amharic, the official working language of Ethiopia. 10,000 copies of Introduction to Bhagavad Gita and On the Way to Krishna are currently in the UK and will soon be shipped to Ethiopia.